Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-21
DARK DEEDS.
How They are Enlarged and Made Black
I by Reporters.

I by Reporters.
| Yesterdays Examiner had startling sen
sation upon the management of the Fol
som Prison with the following headlines
DARK -Blood-c,wdling Tales from
Folsom Prison Cruelty to State Conricts-
Most Inilnadn and Barbdrous 0ffcers-FoL
som Worse than BaStilen 1t then give
what is purported to be an interview witt
Hon. J. A. Filcher, one of the Prison Di
rectors, regarding the treatment of desper
ate prisoners at the Folsom Branch Prison
| In his interview, the language of which il
put in the first person, Mr.. Filcher is made
to say:
1.-The worst case we reached was that O
old man Hunt, who is well known to most
Californians. He is IS years old, and wa;
sentenced to life Imprisonment from Lo:
Angeles, where, six years ago, he com
mitted murder The poor old man hao
been in the dark cell nearly three years
and had become trembling old idiot. He
no longer had enough control over himself
TO keep clean, and his cell was in horrible
state.
His long, gray beard and hair were
matted, and formed a queer frame TO his
wrinkled old visage.
Do you remember that desperate fellow
Jim Winters ?" asked Director Filcher
g He is serving a Observation-Disclosures SEN
tence for robbery and assault to murder in
Red Bluff. He also served term before
that for burglary. There is no doubling
that at one time he was a most desperate
character. You should see him now. He
is a weak-minded, emaciated old man.
When he went to Folsom to begin his see
ond term the Warden ordered him put in
the dungeon the very moment of his ar
rival. That was twenty odd months ago,
and he has never left his cell since.
When his cell door was thrown open
he was on all fours, crawling around and
smiling the floor like dog. The close con-
tinement had told on him most terribly.
Schmidt, the prisoner who had at
tempted to escape to the river q short time
ago, and who was fired at and wounded in
eight places by the guards, was found in a
dreadful condition"
These are only a few samples of a COL
umn and half article.
Mr.. Filcher was in the city last evening,
and reporter interviewed him as to the
Examiners sensation, and asked if the hor-
rible things asserted were true. Mr.. Filcher
said there was some little foundation for
them, but he had been placed in false
light. He then began to state what he did
not say to the reporter, which was like the
pricking of bubble-the whole thing COL
lapsed. He said as Prison Director he de-
sired the best of discipline and the unfortu-
mates as well cared for as possible. That
there were some very bad men in the Folsom
prison, men who were desperate, who had
no regard for human life; it was undeniable
that they had caused great deal of trouble.
They had to be closely confined. There
were several such at Folsom they had been
confined in their cells all the time, because
the management did not feel as though it
would be safe for the officers of the prison
or other convicts to allow them the least
privilege. He scorned the idea of ever
saying that they had been driven to idiocy,
their persons or cells were uncleanly, that
they had been denied pure air, that their
beard and hair were matted, that they
crawled around on the floor on
all tours like idiots, or any
like expressions. Those were the
fanciful flights of the vivid Imagination of
a tirst-class sensational reporter. He liked
the Examiner, but he did not like to be
placed in wrong light. He had nc COM
plant to make against Warden McComb
or Captain Chambers. They no doubt
We're acting as their best Judgment directed,
and IN what they thought was the interest
OF prison discipline and the safety of
human life. the most vicious, depraved,
treacherous and desperate men in the
State found their way inside the prison
walls, but they do not become lamb-like,
by any means. They are incorrigible,
and prudence demands that they be
safely guarded. What started this whole
talk, Mr.. Filcher said, was simply
his asking if those men could not be trans
TERED to San Quentin, where they have
better facilities for their safe retention. He
thought their confinement at Folsom had
SO enraged them that they would now on
the first opportunity seek to revenge them
selves on some one. If removed to San
Quentin he thought that the change of Off
GERS, of convicts, their bitter experience at
Folsom, would all tend to their reforma-
ton, which was all that was desired.
The Examiner reporter makes the Di-
rector say:
The first man we asked to see was
Schmidt, man whom we had been as
sured was desperate jail-breaker. He had
been sentenced to twelve years, from Sacra-
mento, for robbery, and being caught in an
attempt to break jail, he was put in the
dungeon by our orders. The turnkey
went to open the door of the cell, but sud
denly, in horror, he jumped back to us,
CIylHSt ne , BOI d KnlIe, ana is cutting
his way out through the wall p
In moment jumped over the railing
and pushed open the cell door. Schmidt,
naked to the waist, stood upright, and a
long knife, made of sharpened wire, was
in his hand.
a. What are you doing?' l asked, seeing
that the bricks of the wall were loosened
by constant scraping.
I'm cutting my way out, be answered.
az Look here l said, don't you know
you're taking desperate chances? The
moment you would have put your head
out through that hole it would have been
blown off with shotgun
What do | care? Iwould Just as soon
die that way as to stay here for ever and
rot. I've been here now nearly two wears.
and never will be let out
AS a sequel to this last we append the
following telegram, which is self-explan-
atory:
FOLSOM, July 20th.-S:3J p. M-William
Schmidt attempted to assassinate the Walden
of the Folsom Prison, General John McComb
today, but was prevented by the Warden COW
ering him with his revolver and ordering HIM
to throw up his hands. in which position he
was secured. Schmidt is the same prisoner who
attempted TO escape at the last meeting of the
Board of Directors, by cutting through his cell
He evidently wanted to kill The Warden so as
to be taken to the county Jail charged with
murder, from which he had hopes of escaping.
as he hud failed six times at this prison.
~